Whenever you hear about recalls, it may make you think that cars are not as safe as they used to be, especially since there are more recalls than there used to be (note: there are more recalls, but fewer vehicles are affected by these recalls than before).

According to the Detroit News, however, the number of recalls actually suggests that cars are safer. This article outlines three reasons why modern-day recalls are actually a good thing and a sign that cars are safer.

1. Quality Control is getting better, making problems simpler to spot. “Thanks to more sensitive testing software, plus increased communication between the various divisions at car companies, it’s far easier to discover trouble spots in-house.” What this tells me is that, yes, there are problems. But modern technology makes problems easier to catch, resulting in more recalls. Communication

2. Companies are trying to proactive rather than reactive. This makes complete sense to most consumers. In auto-recalls of yesteryear, automakers were almost in a sense of denial and wouldn’t issue recalls until they absolutely had to. This, of course, resulted in terrible PR for affected companies. However, in this information age, it is better for companies to “nip it in the bud” before they are forced to clean up a mess. This is why we are seeing many more ‘voluntary’ recalls issued by automakers.

3. Companies have no choice but to be transparent. This is related to the reason above, but it is important on its own. ” It’s become increasingly difficult for companies of any kind to keep their business practices opaque; when they try to do so (and fail), the results can be disastrous. The trend is toward transparency, and ramping up recalls is part of that process.” There are very few secrets that stay secrets forever, so transparency is very important to auto companies when it comes to issue of safety with their products.

What do you think? Does the number of recalls make you feel better or worse about the quality of your vehicle?